Directors

Dean has been Chief Executive of the Tasmanian Abalone Council Ltd since 2007, Chairman and Director of the Abalone Council of Australia Ltd (Chairman since 2009 – Director and Vice Chairman since 2004), Non Executive Director of the Abalone Council of New South Wales Ltd since 2007, Director and President of the Tasmanian Abalone Council Ltd from 1994 to 2007 and has been a Life Member of the Tasmanian Abalone Council Ltd since 2004. Dean is also a Member of Australian National Emergency Aquatic Animal Disease Response Arrangements Working Group since 2008, Member of Tasmanian Abalone Fishery Ministerial Advisory Committee since 1996, Member of Tasmanian Abalone Research Advisory Group since 1996, Member of the Tasmanian Abalone Fishery Resource Assessment Group since 2008, Director of his own Commercial Fishing Company since 1986 and a Commercial Abalone diver since 1986.Dean also has a Master of Business Administration (MBA, University of Tasmania 2009), is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (FAICD, 2008), has a Graduate Diploma of Business in Professional Management (Grad.Dip.Bus [Prof Man], University of Tasmania, 1995), and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Applied Chemistry (B.App.Sc [App.Chem] Tasmanian State Institute of Technology, 1985), is a Member of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (MRACI, 2008), and has a Bachelor of Education in Maths/Science Teaching (B.Ed, Tasmanian College of Advanced Education, 1982) and a Tasmanian Teachers Certificate (TTC, 1983).

Vice Chairman and SA Director
Jonas Woolford

Jonas lives on the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia and has been diving for abalone in the Western Zone of the South Australian Fishery since 1997. Working with his brother Tobin his wife Carissa, they now run the family business Eyrewoolf Enterprises Pty Ltd harvesting and exporting their Abalone. He holds a Graduate Certificate of Australian Rural Leadership, an Advanced Diploma of Accounting, is a graduate of the Lead on Seafood 2006 Professional Development Program, the Australian Rural Leadership Program 2010, a Nuffield Scholar 2017 and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Jonas has been a Director of the Abalone Council Australia Ltd. since 2009 and the President of the Abalone Industry Association of South Australia Inc. since 2009. Jonas has been Chair of South Australia’s peak seafood industry body Wildcatch Fisheries SA Inc and continues to sit on the board as representative for the Abalone sector.

SA Director
Kane Williams

Kane is the general manager of Western Abalone Processors in Port Lincoln, South Australia, and has been involved in the abalone sector in the Western Zone of South Australia since 2005. Prior to his current position, Kane was a commercial abalone diver for 10 years and also a consultant within the fishing and aquaculture sectors to industry, government and research agencies. He has been a committee member of the Abalone Industry Association of South Australia since 2008 and an office holder for some of this time. He holds a degree in marine science with Honours in marine ecology, and a degree in aquaculture from Adelaide and Flinders University.

Victorian Director
Vacant pending appointment

Victorian Director
Vacant pending appointment

Tasmanian Director
Joey McKibben

Joey lives in Hobart, Tasmania and has been diving for abalone in Tasmania since 2007. Joey has been President of the Tasmanian Abalone Council Ltd since 2014, he previously held positions of Vice President (2010-2014) and Diver Chair (2007-2010). Joey is a member of the Abalone Fishery Advisory Committee (since 2007) and Fishery Resource Advisory Group (since 2007). Joey graduated from the National Seafood Industry Leadership Program in 2009.

NSW Director
John Smythe

John has been a diver in NSW since 1975 and is currently still diving. He has had various representative positions including being on the NSW Fisheries Research Advisory Board and NSW Seafood Industry Council and a Director of Seafood Training NSW since 1990. As chair of the NSW Abalone Development Company, John was a founding director of the ACA following the 1st National Abalone convention.

NSW Director
Greg Finn

Greg started his diving career as a pearl diver for Paspaley Pearls in 1998. He has been involved in the Sea Urchin/Turban Shell and Abalone fisheries for 17 years and has shareholdings in both industries. Greg is an active member of the Abalone Association of NSW and the Commercial Fishing NSW Advisory Council. He has had extensive involvement in advocating for the Abalone industry and has worked with shareholders, DPI and other stakeholders to support the industry’s long-term sustainability and viability. In recent times Greg has been active in developing an increase in demand for Sea Urchin and Abalone within the domestic marketplace.

WA Director
Kerry Rowe

Kerry purchased a West Australian Abalone license and began diving professionally in 1984. He is a founding shareholder and Chairman of Esperance Abalone Enterprises since 1987, was a Director on the board of the WA Fishing Industry Council from 1998 to 2002, and again from 2006 to 2009. He is Chairman of the WA Abalone Industry Association and President of the Esperance Professional Abalone Divers Association.

WA Director
Nathan Adams

Nathan lives in Augusta, Western Australia, where he has been a self employed abalone fisherman for over ten years. Previous to that, he was an abalone diver in the Western Zone of South Australia. Nathan has completed a Diploma of Applied Science in Aquaculture at the University of Tasmania and is currently Vice Chairman and the Executive Officer for the Abalone Industry Association of Western Australia.